Inquisitive Writing
by Ji-soo
Summary: A series of short stories, some of which just wanted to be written down but had almost no plot. Most will be Sasu/Naru. Enjoy.
1. Chapter 1

Break

Summary: His love was too much, much more than Sasuke thought he could handle.

* * *

"I think we need to take a break."

Sasuke had said the words maybe too carelessly, it sounded almost callous in the way his voice didn't change in tone, no emotion reflecting what was basically putting his relationship in hold. It doesn't mean he's not feeling anything, those blue eyes widen in panic and pink lips try form words that never make it out. And it pulls at his heart but they need a break, he feels suffocated by his love. Naruto loves too much it almost makes Sasuke hate it.

"I need to concentrate on school and with the way we have been lately, I think it will do us both good."

Sasuke had left the apartment to give Naruto time to leave, he had originally meant to leave himself but Naruto had only said he would stay with his mother instead. He feels like garbage about it but at least Naruto will have his mother to comfort him, something Sasuke doesn't think he can do right now. It wasn't that he didn't love Naruto, he did. He loved Naruto passionately but sometimes he felt like he didn't love him enough, didn't love him as much as Naruto loved Sasuke.

He feels inadequate and it makes him angry. And the only one that he has around to take it out on is Naruto; the past half-year has been an endless stream of fights non-stop. Sasuke always provokes them; he wants Naruto to be as angry as Sasuke feels. Of course, it's a dick move on his part but that's the only time he feels he's at the same time level as Naruto in terms of emotions.

When he comes back to the apartment, it's empty. He walks around to the couch and turns the TV on, news start to fill in for the silence and he goes to the kitchen to start dinner. He feels robotic almost, he knew it was going to be quiet; he didn't think it was going to be this quiet.

There's stir-fry on the stove and rice is already cooked, Naruto had enough time to leave him a meal cooked.

"Maybe I shouldn't have said that." He says to empty space.

There's time during the next few weeks that he turns to say something to Naruto, or turns to hold his hand and remembers that Naruto isn't there. He has to stop and breathe deeply and silently keep doing what he was doing. The apartment is quiet, Naruto would usually play old jazz music while he painted and it always made Sasuke smile. He liked seeing Naruto in his studio or by the window gently moving the paintbrush to the rhythm of the music.

It's not all bad; Sasuke is able to hang out with his friends. They're not the same group of friends that Naruto and Sasuke share, rather they're only Sasuke's friends. It's nice; he can drink as much as he want and stay out way past what he usually would. But there's always something missing, it's odd not having Naruto there. He would usually lovingly feed Sasuke while all their friends groaned and moaned at the display but Sasuke loved it. He loved that sweet part of Naruto.

He means to keep in contact with Naruto but he doesn't. He picks up his phone stares at the chat screen and comes up blank. He wants to ask how he's doing, what he's doing but Sasuke was the one that wanted the space. So he always ends up not typing anything, he hopes that maybe Naruto would text or call him but he never does.

Sasuke isn't above hanging out with Sakura during the weekend just to inquire about Naruto.

"You're a giant dick, you know that?" Sakura says and sips at her coffee. She stares at him through her lashes and sighs at his impatient look. "He's fine. Concentrating on painting, working out, going out an-"

"With who?" Sasuke interrupts her; the mug in his hand feels like it could shatter at any second. "Who is he going out with?"

Sakura glares at him, she gets that look she gets whenever Naruto and him have a fight and it's Sasuke that's wrong but he won't admit it and Sakura just wants to punch him for being an idiot and hurting Naruto.

"Why don't you ask him yourself, Sasuke? You're the one that wanted a break from him, why suddenly so interested? Or what? He can't have friends and hang out with them?!" Her voice is at the level that's close to yelling but not really. She just picks up her purse and slides out of her seat.

"Next time you want a break, make sure you really want one, asshole!" She storms out of the café and Sasuke is left there glaring at the empty seat across from.

Yes he wanted a break but that didn't mean he didn't love Naruto! He throws some bills on the tables and leaves; he starts running and conveniently ends up at Naruto's house. He stares at the gate and contemplates ringing the doorbell but Naruto is probably not at home and Sasuke doesn't really want to have an awkward conversation with Naruto's mom.

He turns to leave and almost bumps into Naruto, the blonde is carrying paint supplies and a large canvas under his arm. Blue eyes widen at the sight of him and it hurts Sasuke but Naruto actually takes a step back away from him and starts to look at anywhere but him.

"Hey…" Naruto wasn't supposed to be like that, he would always lovingly call out Sasuke's name, or yell it in excitement but never nervously and almost afraid.

"Hi." His voice is clipped and cold, just like when he asked for a break. He notices the way Naruto frowns and takes care to put more emotion into his voice. "Wonderful weather we're having."

 _What…?_

Did he just say that?! Sasuke knew he was almost socially inept but not to this point especially with his own boyfriend!

Naruto looks at him confused and looks up at the sky, it's cloudy and looks like it's about to rain.

"Yeah, sure is…" He shifts the canvas a little and Sasuke finally reacts and moves to grab it from him but Naruto steps back a little and shakes his head.

"It's okay, I got it!"

Sasuke lets his hand drop to his side again and frowns. "Can we talk?"

Naruto looks at him with an odd sort of look but nods and starts to make way into his house. "My mom is out of town, so it's just me and Kurama but he's at work now."

Sasuke grimaces and knows, he _knows_ , he's going to be begging for forgiveness from Kurama just to peacefully date Naruto again. Naruto leads him to the living room, they sit across from each other and an awkward silence settles over them. Naruto is looking at his hands on his lap and Sasuke doesn't like that, he doesn't like how quiet Naruto is being.

"I'm sorry." Naruto looks up rapidly from his hands and stares at in bewilderment. "When I asked for a break, I should have explained myself. I… You love me so much, sometimes I think you love me more than I love you and because of that I felt insecure."

Sasuke doesn't usually speak for long, even with Naruto most of the conversation was help by Naruto and he would answer but it was always short. He had always been like that but he needed Naruto to know why he wanted a break. He hadn't stopped loving Naruto, he was just confused.

"I know it's stupid but sometimes I feel like my love to you is inadequate and not enough. I feel like I don't love you as deeply as you do. I thought maybe if we took a break, I would prove myself right and realize that I loved you less that you did. But I was wrong, I've missed you since you left and I'm sorry."

Sasuke moves to sit next to Naruto but before he can even make it, Naruto lands a solid punch to his stomach and he doubles over in pain on the floor. Naruto manages to land a kick to his shoulder that makes him tumble over and fall on his side.

"YOU ABSOLUTE BASTARD! That's why you wanted a break?!" Naruto is on top of him and Sasuke expects a punch but all he gets are tears on his face and he made Naruto cry, the thing he hates the most. "I thought you didn't love me anymore, I thought it was all my fault!"

Naruto lays completely on top of him, his head is on Sasuke's chest. He can feel the tears being soaked up his shirt. He hugs Naruto closely to him and breathes in the calming scent of his most precious person, the only one he would admit his faults to.

"I'm sorry, I really am. I love more than anything and I miss you… I miss us…"

Naruto continues to cry loudly for a while until he stops and just lies there on top of Sasuke.

"I missed you too, you emotionally stunted bastard."

Sasuke finally sits up and drags Naruto along so his back is against the couch and Naruto is in-between his legs. He can't help it and starts to kiss the side of Naruto's neck gently. He missed the intimacy with Naruto most of all.

"Kurama says you'll have to take The Test again," Naruto lolls his head to the side to give Sasuke more access but he's frozen. "But you've already done it, so you'll be fine right? Sasuke?"

Sasuke can't move, he's having flashbacks to The Test and the horrors he experienced.

"What the fuck are you doing in my house, you Uchiha fuck?!"


	2. Chapter 2

How to Love

Summary: Uchiha Sasuke dated three people, each different, each teaching him something about how to properly love a certain blonde.

* * *

1\. Outgoing Extrovert

When Sasuke is 15 years old, he starts dating Yamanaka Ino. She's the first girl he's ever shown the slightest interest in and to satisfy his growing sexual curiosity he decides to date her.

Ino is unlike the other girls at school who just blush and stutter in front of him. She's bright and energetic and loves to be physical with him, something he learns to like. She likes to cling to his arm, not to show off that he's her boyfriend but because Ino is a physical person and likes to be in constant contact with him. She's also outgoing and when they're not in school, she drags him to the streets of Shibuya to shop, play at arcades and eat sweets. Sometimes it's with her friends as well and they end up at karaoke, at first he hates it but it's at these kinds of situations that Sasuke sees Ino shine.

She's the type of person who is able to read the mood and get the rest going. She gets her friends excited and in the mood, the songs are almost nonstop but so is the laughter and happiness that Ino seems to be able to bring out. Karaoke inevitably ends up being something Sasuke looks forward to because he likes to see Ino shine, her pale blue eyes twinkle and there's something in that energy that Sasuke just seems to gravitate to.

Almost every weekend, they end up at a motel to do what their teenage bodies nag at them to explore. Ino is a good lover; she's passionate and willing to try almost anything with him sexually. And Sasuke, well he learns he likes to have sex often and for prolonged amounts of time. Especially when he finds that Ino doesn't go around boasting that they have sex to her friends, she keeps that information private, as it should be.

If they can't meet, Ino texts him often and keeps him company with her quick-witted responses. She says she misses him but never accuses him of neglecting her, something else he likes about her. But just because all of these things that he likes about her are many, it doesn't mean that Sasuke doesn't eventually figure out he doesn't like _like_ her.

Sasuke breaks up with her two years after they started dating and Ino doesn't cry, doesn't reproach him. She takes it to good heart and although Sasuke knows that she probably will cry later, she doesn't show it to his face. He still hopes they're able to be friends because he genuinely liked hanging out with her. And they do remain friends, she still invites him to hang out and still calls out his name at school even though everyone knows they broke up.

With Yamanaka Ino, he learns to love an outgoing extrovert.

* * *

2\. Fire Maelstrom

Uzumaki Karin has a shock of bright red hair, wears glasses and has a figure that other girls would kill for. They date for approximately one year.

He meets Karin when he's starting his last year of high school at the academy where he takes his afterschool classes. They're both taking advanced college courses and she stands out right away to him, both because of her hair and because of her temper. Ino had a temper but it was always mellow compared to Karin.

He sees Karin explode in anger outside the academy when an old man waiting for the bus carelessly flicked his cigarette her way and almost hits her. She's a bright fiery storm that makes something twist just below his stomach, she doesn't use a quiet tone rather she yells and causes a scene but the crowd agrees with her and turn ugly gazes toward the old man who apologizes and escapes.

He catches her eye, smirks at her and walks away. The next day, she approaches him after classes and they go to one of the cafes around the area together, and maybe because Sasuke hasn't had sex since he broke up with Ino, they end up at a motel and the inevitable happens.

Sasuke asks her out the next day, not because he feels obligated now that they've had sex but rather he wants to see her in her fiery rage mode again. There's something so attractive about that that he wants to keep seeing her.

And Karin is somewhat similar to Ino, they both like to be physical but whereas Ino was outgoing and always the center of attention without meaning to, Karin is less outgoing in a social sense. She concentrates on her studies as she's planning to attend medical school and so they can only meet during Saturdays.

Sasuke doesn't really mind, he also has to study for the college entrance exam but he does like to hang out with Karin, he likes to poke at her sometimes in hopes of seeing her angry again. Her red eyes always shone like a bright maelstrom when she was angry, she was alive and that made Sasuke feel alive as well.

It's not just that, Karin, when she wasn't angry or treating him sweetly, would engage him in the most interesting conversations about whatever topic she had read about on the medical news. Karin was smart and Sasuke liked that as well, they were able to engage in a battle of ethics sometimes over certain topics and sometimes Sasuke said certain things to ruffle her feather because she would huff a little but not lose her temper in order to prove her point of view. She was able to reign in her anger when necessary.

But eventually college exams got the better of them and mutually they decided to break it off. Karin is glum when they break up but she doesn't cry, in a very Karin-like way, she stomps off in anger even though they both agreed.

With Uzumaki Karin, he learned to love a maelstrom.

* * *

3\. Beautiful Strength

In his second year of university, Sasuke spends most of his time at the library cramming as much information as he can into his brain in order to keep up with seven class course load. His table is a messy array of multiple business statistics, accounting, and economics books. His notes are plied neatly to the side and his laptop is playing back a lesson as he listens with his headphones on his ears.

He looks up and smiles at the pink haired girl at the table across from him. Her table is possibly a worst mess that his, several thick medical books lay across, notes strewn about and pink haired messily held back by two pins. Her green eyes look up from her notes at him and smile before turning her attention back at her notes.

He's been dating Haruno Sakura since they both started school. Sakura is a second year medical student, she's often buried in books at the library and so is Sasuke and because of that they can't even sit together, they both need to be spread out but it's okay.

Sakura is unlike Ino, she's bright but doesn't have the outgoing, extrovert attitude that Ino did nor does she have that fiery rage maelstrom that Karin did. Instead Sakura is a sweet, quiet presence beside him.

They hang out during the weekends, most of the time they're too tired to do anything but hang out at his apartment have sex and then lay around watching TV or going out for dinner. Sasuke is okay with that, with Sakura he holds some of the most interesting conversations about medical diseases, half the time he's convinced he has one of them.

Still he really likes Sakura, likes that she's incredibly independent and strives for a better future for herself. Not only that, Sakura is also strong and he doesn't just mean emotionally, because she's also tough as nails, but physically strong. Possibly a bit stronger than him.

When they began dating and after one of their dates, they had been walking hand in hand down the busy streets of Harajuku when a group of men walked by and one of them had the audacity to slap Sakura on the ass. Sasuke just hears her small yelp and before he can react and protect her as he feels he should, she's pulled the man by the back of his collar hard enough that he slams on the concrete hard enough to knock the wind right out of him. Sakura takes her chance and kicks him right in the nuts hard enough that Sasuke and every man in the vicinity wince in pain.

"You disgusting groper! See if you're going to get away from this!" She yells and pulls out her phone, calling non-emergency services to report the incident. Sasuke feels mostly useless but there's something like pride blooming in his chest, Sakura is a woman capable of taking care of herself.

However during their third year of university, they're both too busy. He has internships and Sakura is up to her eyeballs in medical school. He almost doesn't see her for three months, their schedules just not lining up at all.

In the end, Sakura breaks up with him. He doesn't blame her, they're too busy. In fact they're both workaholics, both seeking a future that doesn't have time for a relationship while in school.

But Sakura left a deep impression on him of what he wants in a romantic partner.

With Haruno Sakura he learns to love a strong individual, one capable of standing equally with him.

* * *

4\. Uzumaki Naruto

Sasuke is bone tired. He's 25 and already two years at his current job at one of the big accounting firms his family owns. He has to work his way up just as his brother did; no one cuts him any slack. While no longer the youngest accountant there, he's still low on the ladder but making good headway.

He's proved himself capable.

"Tired?"

He feels some of the tiredness lift off of him at the sound of a certain blonde. He had started dating Uzumaki Naruto (Uzumaki Karin's very distant cousin, imagine the shock Sasuke got when he found out Naruto's last name) almost three months ago after another two months of relentless flirting at the café that Naruto owned.

During his lunch breaks, Sasuke goes to Naruto's café, which is conveniently right across the street from his company, and there he spends time with Naruto.

Naruto is unlike all his past relationships, while all of them taught him something none of them prepared him for the absolute adventure that was one Uzumaki Naruto.

Naruto was like Ino in that they were both energetic, easily grabbing and holding the attention of a room but he was also like Karin, able to blend into the background and allow someone else to make the atmosphere. He's like Sakura in that he's strong, physically and mentally but somehow just a bit softer, and fiercer in his love for Sasuke.

Unlike all his past lovers, Naruto sometimes becomes a recluse. He needs time to himself, time to gather his being before he's back to being the blonde sunshine that he loves. Sometimes Sasuke will sleep over at Naruto's apartment and he'll wake up in the early hours of the morning to find Naruto either by the veranda looking up at the sky or gone. Naruto comes back before Sasuke has to go to work and Sasuke never probes at him to know why.

He wants Naruto to tell him on his own free will when the time comes.

Aside from those moments, Naruto is sweet to him. Sometimes he'll bring him lunch to the office or have a bath drawn for Sasuke when he gets to Naruto's apartment. And sometimes, it will be the quiet moments in which they both lay on the mattress after having sex and Naruto traces his face with the tip of his finger as if he can't believe Sasuke is there at all.

Naruto is a lover unlike any he's had and Sasuke is prepared to discover new things each day about a certain blue eyed, blonde man.


End file.
